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Egypt: Where Do We Go from Here?

We have all been glued to our screens as we watch the protest in Egypt unravel. From the violence on wednesday, which cost some protesters their lives to the scramble to dish out blame on all sides and of course, President Mubarak gave an interview to ABC News, yesterday, saying he is sick of power and he wants to go. However, he is also worried about what could happen next if a power vacuum arises. A complicated situation we agree, hence, what’s next because all that he has said so far is not enough to placate the protesters or get them to go home. They want him gone like yesterday…

Its friday and they are back at Liberation Square, chanting louder and clearer that today should and must be his last day. But will Mubarak go, he did say he was going to die on Egyptian soil. I found, this edition of Inside Story by Al Jazeera, very interesting. What are your thoughts?

@ Lara, a dicey situation for sure…where the US is concerned, it is about their interest in the region, Egypt is a friend of the US and one of their strongest allies in the Arab world, the US gives Egypt under Mubarak, close to 1.5billion a year in aid, then there is the Israel issue, which Egypt has played a role in trying to make peace…it is a messy situation and there is the fear of Extreme Islam if Mubarak goes, it is just one huge fear mongering situation but there are reasons for that…all the same, my personal view, this is not about the US but Egypt and Egyptians and I would like for media outlets to get that simple truth through their thick skulls…it is the subject of a blog this coming week and I will let you know when its up. Thanks for reading and commenting. Highly appreciated…

As a recent evacuee, but also someone who has only lived and worked in Cairo for 5 months prior to evacuation, I don’t feel qualified to speak on behalf of the Egyptian people in terms of what may be best for them. But I can say that when I’ve conducted English speaking tests for potential students, and asked what improvements they’d like to see in Egypt, the fear that crept on their faces was clear: Mubarak was feared before this revolution and there are many who would like to see the back of him sooner than September.

One more thing…Belinda, when I asked why US was involved, what I meant was that I was concerned that the US might want to dictate how the Egyptians should run their country. I do understand that US has its interests to protect in Egypt, and while I love the United States so much, I still sometimes feel that this country has played the role of a bully in the past, in the interest of their Interest :)… So I thought we would be doing the same to Egypt. However, I’m glad that it’s not going to be the case this time. Obama did say that we can’t forcefully dictate to the Egyptians how to run their country…and I have to applaud that comment. Thanks Belinda for your informative posts always.